Goodbye
by Draco09
Summary: Goodbye may mean forever... SXJ C O M P L E T E
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** After reading many great Liberty's Kids fanfics from here, I've decided to create my own. This is my first Liberty's Kids fanfic, so it's most likely gonna suck XD

**Disclaimer **- I don't own Liberty's Kids. DIC does. And possible historical events in this series belongs to… uh… history :P

Goodbye

By Draco

"You're _leaving_?"

"I won't be gone long, James."

"But--"

"Don't start arguing with me again; I, for once, want to spend time after years of not even talking to my family."

Sarah put in the last article of clothing she had and closed her suitcase. Right now her attempts of leaving the print shop were near impossible because James kept interrogating.

"Why are you leaving?" James asked as he followed Sarah downstairs.

"I want to visit my family back in England because I haven't seen them in years… And I feel a little homesick…"

"What, America isn't good enough for you, or something?" James said with an icy voice.

"No, of course not! Could you at least show a little courtesy?"

"Now, Sarah, we both know that's certainly no fun," James teased. Sarah rolled her green eyes out of habit, since she was used to James being his rude and obnoxious self. She moved a lock of red hair out of her face and grabbed her notebook to stuff into her suitcase just before she would head out.

"James, why are you so upset over this? It'll only take a few weeks on the boat and then I'll visit for a few days in England. I'll be back soon, you don't have to worry."

"Well, first of all, I thought we were both journalists working for Ben Franklin? And second of all, why would you want to return to your Tory friends? They're just a bunch of stuck-up rich people."

"They are not Tories, nor stuck-up. Besides, if they were stuck-up and snobby --which they _aren't_-- I would be the same way. Plus, I only wanted to have some time to myself for a change instead of being around an impolite man such as you," said Sarah, poking his chest at her last remark.

"Yeah, like that's the first time I heard _that_!" James said. With an exasperated sigh, Sarah opened the door to the shop, giving James a passing glance before exiting.

"Well? Do you want to come to the dock with me to await my ship or are you going to be willful?"

James sighed, walking out the door before Sarah could. Sarah walked out after him and shut the door behind her. The two headed towards the dock to meet Moses and Henri where Sarah would wait for her ship to arrive. The two didn't talk much during their walk.

Sarah glanced at him to notice his expression was hard and serious, yet he almost seemed distressed.

"Why are you so peevish all of a sudden?" she asked him. "You've been like that all morning."

"Nothing… just got up on the wrong side of the bed, that's all…" he answered distantly. Sarah could easily tell this wasn't the case. But, if she further questioned him he might be even more distressed then he already seemed. She decided to stay quiet.

Soon, they reached the docks, where Henri and Moses stood waiting for Sarah's boat. "Oh, good, you're just in time!" said Moses, noticing the two walk up. "The boat is in sight and will pull up soon."

"Sarah, how long will you be gone?" asked Henri.

Sarah looked to see Henri's saddened face. "I'll only be gone for a few weeks. I'll be back in Philadelphia soon, don't you worry."

"A few weeks?! I can't survive without good cooking!" said Henri, generally trying to piss James off.

"What a way to cheer me up…" grumbled James under his breath, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Sarah laughed at his joke. "Well… at least I know someone likes my cooking…" James pretended he couldn't hear them. Moses glanced at James, noticing that his disputatious behavior has worsened since Sarah told him she was leaving. He needed to have a talk with him later.

Sooner or later, the boat arrived, while other men loaded up the goods that would be transported back to England. James looked at the giant ship, annoyed with the fact that it was leading straight to hell. He hated the British. He hated them all. It included King George. The only British person who was ever nice to him was Sarah, but she was female. But, then again, girls were known for their kindness and caring nature and --in his case with Sarah-- were utterly annoying.

Sarah said goodbye to Moses and Henri, saying, "I'll miss you all, and I shall come back as soon as I can. I know there are things to write about here in America." The young British woman turned to Henri with a sly grin. "And stay out of trouble, you…"

Henri snorted. "Yeah, whatever…" Sarah shook her head with a smile and hugged the young boy. Sarah turned her attention towards James, who still looked a bit irritated and miserable. Even though Sarah didn't want to get in his way, she did so anyway. She looked up at him and spoke.

"I guess I'll be seeing you, Mr. Hiller," Sarah said, hoping what she said would be considered.

James looked at her for a few moments and dared himself to speak. "Try not to nag some other poor soul while I'm absent." It was the best he could come up with.

Sarah rolled her eyes, embracing him with her arms around his neck. At first, James was a bit taken aback with this behavior, but soon returned it.

She separated from him and said, "I'll miss you, too…" For the first time all day, James finally smiled at her from her remark.

Sarah boarded the ship, waving goodbye to her friends before the ship pulled away from Philadelphia minutes later. James watched the boat leave, his face saddened. As much as he disliked that girl sometimes, he was really going to miss her. He wasn't sure how to express how he felt right now…

He felt a touch on his shoulder. It was Moses. "C'mon James, we should head back. There's a ton of prints to make today."

James turned towards him and nodded, walking back towards the shop.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I actually kinda like this story :) I'll try to get more of this done soon. I like this series, yet I can't see all the episodes because Youtube only has five eps or so X( Damn…

* * *

The three returned to the shop to once again get back to business. As always, Moses and Henri worked the press. Usually James would be around to help them as well, but he was no where to be seen. Both Moses and Henri noticed James's disappearance. They knew they had a lot of work to get done, but they couldn't do it all without James's assistance.

James, meanwhile, was upstairs in Sarah's bedroom, looking out her window. He was still angry that Sarah had to leave for his country's enemy, and the fact that she had to leave them behind just for her stupid friends back in her hometown of England. He knew she had a life of her own, but for some reason the whole situation irritated him beyond no end.

Moses and Henri began a conversation downstairs while they tried working the press. "What's wrong with James?" asked Henri. "He looks rather annoyed."

Moses looked at the inquisitive young boy. "I don't think he's annoyed, Henri. I can tell he's using that as a mask. He's hiding something."

"Maybe he has some weird crush on Sarah or something like that," Henri said, chuckling at the thought.

Moses thought for a moment before replying to Henri's hypothesis. "I'm guessing he's just missing her. We all miss her, Henri, and I'm not surprised if James did."

"Well I'm surprised he misses her at all! They fight like cats and dogs!" said Henri.

Moses smirked. "That's one thing they do very well on a daily basis…"

"I still think they like each other and don't have the guts to tell each other…" Moses smiled, thinking more thoroughly about James's weird behavior.

James was still upstairs in Sarah's bedroom, more distressed then he ever thought possible. He had no idea why he kept thinking about it, but he was. He felt some sort of emptiness, as if something was missing. He never felt this upset over someone in his life. He gave himself ideas to why he was thinking the way he was, but so far he came up with nothing.

Moses opened the door to Sarah's room, seeing James in his state. Henri was hungry as always and was more interested in what was in the cabinet than in what Moses and James would be talking about, so he decided to stay downstairs.

James knew all too well that Moses would want to speak with him about his saddened state of mind. He spoke. "Hi, Moses…"

"Hi… are you alright?" Moses said awkwardly.

James sighed heavily. "I don't know… I don't know what to think."

"What do you mean? Are you saying that you actually miss Sarah?"

The blonde gulped, afraid that his answer would change the way his friends would think of him. "Yes…" Moses grinned.

"There's nothing wrong with that. We all miss Sarah, and she's only been gone a few hours."

"Yeah, I know, but for some reason I just… feel weird about it. It's sort of strange that Sarah isn't here. I've become so used to her…"

Moses walked up behind James, who still gave most of his attention to the window. Moses looked outside with him, wondering if he was studying something unusual. Turns out, he was staring at nothing. Nothing at all. Moses put a comforting hand on James's shoulder.

"I know what you're feeling, James. It's okay… But, we can get through a few weeks without Sarah, can't we? It's not like the world is going to fall apart."

"Yeah it will…" said James, pasting a smile on his face.

"Well, at least you smiled a bit, huh? We'd better head back downstairs to get some work done. Plus, I bet Henri ate all our food by now." James chuckled.

"At least there's one thing that hasn't changed…"

Things ran smoothly as they usually did at the press, and work was being done like it should. And as the weeks went by, they all were ready to see Sarah come back to warm welcomes. They all missed her. In a way, she sort of set things strait in her own little way.

It has been three weeks since Sarah boarded the ship to England, and it's been a few days more than they thought Sarah would stay. To add to Sarah's absence, James grew more worried as the days continued to roll by. He couldn't help but sense that something was wrong. As much as his friends tried to comfort him, James wouldn't listen. When a few more days passed and Sarah still wasn't back, Moses and Henri could tell that James was going to lose his mind.

One morning, James paced back in forth in the room, waiting as patiently as he could manage for the door to creak open. But, it never did.

"I can't take this anymore!" James blurted, stopping his pacing.

"We can tell…" Henri said under his breath.

Even though he heard Henri decide to be a smart-alec, James continued to complain. "Where the heck is she?! It's almost been a month since she left!"

"James, everything is probably fine," Moses said, "ships run late all the time because of attacks from neighboring tribes up north, storms, and other issues. Sarah is probably fine and is on her way right now."

James grumbled to himself. "Yeah, sure… She's probably not missing us at all; getting together with her stuck-up Tory friends… Forget this! I'm writing her a letter." Taking out his notepad and a pen with ink, James started writing.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and almost instantly James looked to see who it was. It was Ben Franklin, who looked rather disappointed then happy in the late morning.

"Good morning, Mr. Franklin," said Moses.

"Good morning to you as well, Moses," said Ben. "How are you all?"

"You can say most of us are sane…" Henri joked. James glared at him as he continued to write his letter.

"What brings you here?" Moses asked.

Ben looked away for a moment, as if in thought, and sighed. "I bring news…"

James's attention suddenly turned to Mr. Franklin, his curiosity overpowering his thoughts. "Is it good or…" James didn't finish his sentence, fear knotting in his stomach.

Ben shook his head, and all three men knew that if Ben Franklin brought bad news, then it must be important. "Do tell…" James said, his curiosity becoming difficult to ignore.

"Well… if you say so…" said Mr. Franklin, collecting another sigh. "I'm afraid that… Sarah Phillips was close to coming home… until she was murdered…"

* * *

**A/N: **I left a cliff-hanger, bwahahahahaha!! :D REVIEW!!!!!!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** God, I really want to get this done! I'm so into it! So, enjoy what I have here. For me, it's one of the good parts ;)

Everyone stood, shocked, in disbelief. None of them expected it. Out of sheer surprise, James dropped the little bottle of ink that he held in his hand. It shattered on the hard floor, and James didn't even bother to clean it up. Both Moses and Henri were quiet, and the room was soon deathly silent.

"Mr. Franklin… how did this happen…?" Henri said quietly. James and Moses turned to the elder in question. After using a cloth to clean his eye glasses, Ben started his story.

"From what I was told, Sarah had gotten off the ship last night at a late hour, and was heading home to greet you all. But, someone --I'm not sure whom-- killed her when she took a shortcut through an alleyway.

Thankfully, Thomas Jefferson happened to be walking by and was on his way to talk with me for government reasons, so he thought he could take a shortcut to get there faster since he was already late. He told me that he saw her on the ground, and she was stabbed from behind. He could tell when he looked under her to see a wound near her shoulder blades. Instantly he ran to me to tell me the news, and I was horrified to hear this…" Ben sighed heavily before continuing. "I'm sorry… all of you…"

All three were still silent.

"Who would do this sort of thing, especially to a woman?" Moses said, breaking the silence.

"I haven't a clue, Moses… maybe for revenge. It's most likely to be a Patriot, since they believe in independence instead of European rule. That person probably knew that she was British and killed her because of that. But, I don't know for sure. There's no evidence…"

Throughout most of the conversation, James's mind pictured the events Ben described in his story; from Sarah's peaceful walk in the alleyway, to the final thing she saw. James tried his best to hold back tears, and because of that his chest began screaming for air. He had to find out where she was… He questioned.

"Where is she now? What did they do with her?" James said.

"Until her mother comes, Sarah was going to stay in the Wheatly's residence," replied Ben. "They wanted to keep her there, especially since Phyllis voulenteered for her to stay there for the moment."

"When will her mother take her back?" James interrogated, getting out of his seat frantically.

"I'm not sure, but probably very soon…" said Ben.

"I'll be right back…" said James, sprinting towards the door.

"James, where are you going?" Henri asked, but before he could even finish his question, James was out the door.

"We'd better go after him," said Moses. "Sometimes he can be a bit unpredictable when he has his mind set on something." Moses and Henri were about to go out the door as well, but Mr. Franklin stopped them.

"No. Let him go… He needs some time to think…"

"But he--" Henri started.

"Give him some time. He needs to figure it out sooner or later…" With that, Ben Franklin exited from the shop, leaving Moses and Henri to look at each other with worried expressions.

James immediately mounted a horse and made his way to Boston. He tried to be strong and deal with the hard truth, but the more he kept thinking about Sarah, the more his willpower was dying. He almost constantly was pushing the horse to go faster, but even with the horse's speed he won't get to Boston until a later hour, around twilight. Because James was trying to hurry, the horse was tiring at a faster rate.

The horse couldn't take it much longer. Even though she was trained to not stop unless the rider told her to, her energy was drained. She slowed her canter, her breath labored. James became more and more frustrated as the horse slowed down, but he understood the pressure the horse must be under. Feeling sympathy for the animal, he halted her. He dismounted and patted her thick neck.

"I'm sorry, girl…" he said, out of breath himself. "I'm sorry…" For the moment the two figures stood there, breathing hard. As much as James wanted to get to Boston, his energy was also drained. But they were almost there…

Soon, the mare's breathing slowed and was now even and calm. James instantly got back on and galloped to Boston once again. This time, he didn't push the horse too hard. Soon enough, they rode into Boston while the sun was just barely in the sky, and both were stressed. Once reaching the Wheatly's place, he went out back to the barn to tie the mare up, giving her a pat on her warm neck to show that he was thankful. Even in his tired state, James sprinted as fast as he could to the servant's door.

His heart throbbed against his chest, both from the journey and from his anxiousness. He didn't even bother knocking on the door; he just entered. Phyllis was there, and she nearly jumped when James came in. He could tell she was crying. Her eyes were bloodshot.

"James? Are you alright?" the black woman asked.

"Where is she?" James asked, frantic. "I need to see her!"

Phyllis knew no one was allowed in the house during the time, but James looked horrified. She knows James cares deeply for Sarah, and because of her death, it seems as if he's lost total control of himself.

"She's upstairs, but be quiet, the--" James didn't bother to listen to the rest of her sentence and bolted out the door. Surprised, Phyllis looked out the door in which James didn't bother closing to see James run into her master's house without knocking. She hoped her master was a heavy sleeper. She shook her head with sadness. She hoped for the best.

James hurried upstairs of the house, not caring if Phyllis's master woke up. All he wanted was to see Sarah again after nearly a month without her presence.

After looking through countless bedrooms, he opened the final door at the end of the hall, seeing a small room with a bed and candle on top of the counter beside it. In the bed was Sarah Phillips, whilst the candle lit the darkened room from the shaded sky outside.

James stood at the doorway, frozen with shock and disbelief. What Ben Franklin said was the truth. She was dead, yet she looked too peaceful and undisturbed in her bed. Her face was chalky, making her red hair and pink lips stand out. Her eyes were closed, yet he knew she didn't die that way. All the spirit she used to have disappeared. She was lying on her back with both her hands lying on her stomach. Her wavy hair was loose instead of in a pony tail… the first time he'd ever seen her with her hair down.

James slowly walked towards the bed, a knot forming in his throat that continued to tighten as he got closer. He looked at her lifeless form, trying not to cry. He didn't know how long he could last without his feelings to take full control. He was afraid he would never stop the tears' flow. His chest started hurting again, and it was getting harder and harder for him to withstand the pain.

He kneeled down at the bed, looking at her cold body. Even at death, she as beautiful as she was alive.

"Sarah…?" James choked out her name. "Get up… _please_…" He touched her freezing hand, feeling for a pulse, hoping it was all just a bad dream. After a few moments of feeling her wrist, there wasn't the slightest beat. "Get up," James said more loudly. The young woman didn't answer, but instead lay there peacefully.

James tried swallowing the tightening knot in his throat, but he was unable to stomach it. He squeezed Sarah's hand, trying not to cry… trying not to lose his self-control. But, as much as he tried, he couldn't contain it in his chest any longer.

Suddenly he burst into tears, crying hysterically, unable to stop. He cried and cried, holding Sarah's limp hand as he sobbed. "Don't leave me like this…" he managed to say. "I need you… You're too important in my life." He placed her hand flat against his soaked cheek, soaking up the cold feeling of her hand. "Get up!" He was almost yelling now. "Please… Don't go!" The more he cried, the better he was starting to feel. His chest wasn't hurting anymore, and he managed to swallow down the knot in his throat.

He put her hand back for it to lie on her stomach again, but he still held it tightly. "Why did you have to die, Sarah? _Why_…? What did you ever do to God? What would you do to God…?" He whimpered softly before he could continue. "I'm nothing without you! You brought happiness into my life… I want it back…" He continued to once again sob in misery. As much as it felt good to let it out, his heart ached. He cared for her so much that it brought back previous thoughts while he worked along side her… before she passed. He knew what he was thinking was true.

"I've been thinking so much about this, and how much you mean to me… I can't control how I feel, and the more I lie in bed at night thinking about it, the more I believe in it…" He squeezed her hand again. "The truth is that I'm in love with you, Sarah Phillips… I know you can't hear me, but I am! I've loved you for so long that I feel so empty and foolish to not tell you sooner!

"Everything you did haunted me. While you scolded me, while you yelled at me, while you nagged me for my use of bad grammar, while I acted like a child, I wanted to hold you and say your name over and over and over again! I'm always distracted by you, and you're too beautiful to ignore! Your hair, your eyes, your face, everything about you is wonderful…" James was starting to gush out so much information at Sarah's corpse, mainly because he couldn't manage to tell her in person… when she was alive.

"I'm sorry for anything I said that was insulting and rude! It was because I didn't know how to act around you! It was the only way for you to pay attention to me. I couldn't help it, alright?" James felt better telling her his feelings, even though she was dead and unresponsive.

He couldn't hold himself back any longer when he bent over her to connect lips, shivers rushing through him, making his heart pound. He disconnected, wishing she was still alive to hear him and understand his affections for her.

James was lost in his own mind as he laid himself down next to her, feeling her presence, putting his arms around her and kissing her more passionately. To him it seemed so wrong to kiss a dead person, but at the same time it felt right. He trialed his lips down her neck, inhaling the perfume she last put on. The aroma was practically intoxicating, hypnotizing him into a trance he couldn't seem to escape from. It made him unable to leave.

He stayed at the Wheatly resident that night, right next to her. And ironically, the Wheatly residence was where they had their very first adventure… the night they met… and also the night when he was smacked by a pillow with a book stuffed in it. But now, it was their last.

**A/N: **This part is _so_ cheesy. I made it more like an angst/fluff-type story. Awe well… it's my first Liberty's Kids fic, right? And I felt like adding a little humor to the end of this depressing chapter XP


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Okay, the story is almost over, basically (er… at least I think it is). As much as I like this story, it's not one of my best. I can easily do much better than this. But, other than that, enjoy what I have! :)

The sun shown through the print shop the day after James bolted out the door. The print shop was silent, mainly because Moses and Henri were still asleep. Because of Sarah's loss, today was their day off, especially since they all were too miserable to get working. They decided to post the story they've been working on for now and come up with another the following week.

But soon, the young boy and black man awoke reluctantly, making themselves breakfast. They weren't surprised that James hasn't returned from Boston. Henri looked at the door for a brief minute, waiting for James to come back, to make him see that he didn't abandon his friends. After a while of waiting, he never showed up.

"I'm getting worried about James, Moses," said Henri, sitting at the table, and for the first time picking at his food. "What if he doesn't come back?"

Moses turned to the boy. "He will, Henri, don't worry." Moses put a comforting hand on Henri's shoulder. "But, think about it, Henri; James cares a lot about Sarah. If he stayed there more than a few days I wouldn't be surprised."

"True… But haven't you ever seen how he acted around her? He likes her… I can tell."

Moses thought again about James. He studied his behaviors over the past few years, and he had to admit that Henri made a good point. His odd behavior contributed to how he felt. The proof showed itself when James bolted out that door the moment he heard Sarah's location.

"Henri, you're right," said Moses. "He does like her… or… maybe even _love_ her."

"You really think so?"

"I have a good feeling…" Moses said. "Now, let's say we go to Boston…"

Henri smiled at his friend determinedly, following Moses out the front door.

The sun soaked through the second story window of the Wheatly residence. James was still there, asleep with Sarah's body on the bed. Slowly James's eyes opened, his eyes burning from the amount of crying he'd recently done. He squinted from the sun's radiance.

Even though it was another day, James didn't forget last night. The night when he saw Sarah dead, her pale yet beautiful face impassive. He tried pushing the thought out of his head, but failed. He felt the tears coming back, but he held them in, not wanting to cry any longer. He sat up and looked out the window to see a few birds glide by, their white wings practically invisible in the sun's glare.

By force, James put his shoes back on and gathered his things. As much as he didn't want to leave, he had to. He needed to return to Philadelphia with his friends and continue their work… without Sarah. He always enjoyed having her around with him during all their adventures traveling the small country of the United States of America, and it didn't matter how much they fought.

One memory was brought back when the British captured him and almost forced him to join the British navy, until Sarah and Henri came to his rescue. He laughed to himself when he remembered Henri saying they were engaged as a way to get away from the enemy, imagining the look on his own face when Henri mentioned it. He must have been so surprised…

But going through this wonderful memory brought up many things he didn't notice until now. Sarah acted like she dearly loved him so well that he almost came to believe it. The way she acted it out in front of the group of men surprised him. The way she took his hand… the way she was smiling at him… his strange urge to hold her and never let go… All of his childhood thoughts flooded back, and he knew he always cared for her, and he realized these emotions grew into something more than that. Of course, he and Sarah were only fourteen at that time, so he was quite embarrassed and grossed out in holding her hand in that _way_… even though part of him enjoyed it.

He remembered letting go of her hand, feeling disgusted because his immature mind felt it was unnecessary. But searching back, he remembered thinking that he _wanted _to hold that hand, much to Henri's teasing. God he wanted to slug that little twerp so hard that his face would be numb for a week… Though, the little irritant did get them out of trouble, he couldn't blame him for that.

He grabbed his coat, since the weather that morning was cool and dry. But, before the young man could walk out the door, it was ajar, and he sensed someone else was going to enter. Indeed someone did open the door, a woman slightly taller than he, red hair, blue eyes; her elegant dress dragging on the floor. Her hair was up in an odd way, wearing a fine necklace; she obviously was a royal subject. Out of pure instinct James concluded that the woman in front of him was Sarah's own mother. Her features almost mimicked her daughter's. Neither one of them said anything once their eyes met.

Sarah's mother broke the silence with her thick British accent, much like Sarah's. "Are you James…?"

James glanced at her despondently and replied, "Yes, ma'am."

Sarah's mother breathed a sigh and said, "I'm sorry to disturb you if I did, I just wanted to see my daughter."

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," James said. "You can see her." Sarah's mother walked slowly over to Sarah's bed, much like he did, and looked at her with bloodshot eyes. James watched her quietly, wondering how the unfortunate mother would react. He knew a lot of people loved Sarah for her kind ways and beliefs. He saw the woman drop a few tears on the bed, sobbing miserably. He felt a pang for her, knowing that Sarah was probably her only daughter and that she loved her dearly… as much as he loved her.

After minutes of the woman sobbing, she regained her control over the loss of her daughter and pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket. She used it to wipe the tears away as she stood up.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized, facing him.

"Don't be…" he said. "I did the same thing…" He made an encouraging smile, hoping Sarah's mother would feel at least a little better… to make sure she knew she wasn't alone. He didn't want others to suffer as much as he did.

Her mother smiled weakly, saying, "I want to thank you for everything you and your friends have done for my Sarah; for taking care of her, for watching her, for keeping her safe. I appreciate it very much."

"You're welcome," James replied. There wasn't really much to say, but James still had questions to ask, being a journalist it came naturally. "By the way, Mrs. Phillips--"

"Please, call me Elizabeth," said she, sniffling.

"How were you able to get to Boston by ship? It would have taken you week after week to get here all the way from England."

"Well, dear boy, when she was going to leave us after her trip was over, I felt so worried for her, being in this foreign place I feared she still wouldn't be safe even with you and your friends around. I went onto the ship as well, making sure Sarah didn't see me so she wouldn't get mad at me. She so badly wanted to see you all again, and me being my overprotective self would make her frustrated.

"So, after a long while on the boat we finally docked into Boston at a very late hour, and the boat was late. Sarah got off before I could get out of my seat because she was so excited. I was gathering my things because I knew I would be staying in Boston for a few days, and because of that I wasted time and one person by the dock told those remaining on the ship to stay, for there was some form of disease among, and wanted to make sure no one would be harmed. I ended up staying on that boat for two entire nights until they finally told us it was safe to get off. I heard of my daughter's death shortly later, and by morning, I found out Sarah was here… and that you were there as well…"

As much as James felt bad for the woman, he took notes frantically to get all of the substantial information down for the next paper. He'll make sure he would keep a copy for himself. Again, new tears began forming in his eyes, wanting Sarah back… wanting to hug her and make sure everything was what it should be. But now he couldn't change that.

_Suck it up, James, _he told himself. _You've already cried about this. Let it go. _He couldn't. As much as he wanted to let it go, he didn't. He missed her. He loved her.

Elizabeth's question took him out of his state of mind. "You… you love her, don't you?"

James looked at the woman and her moist eyes, searching for answers on how she was able to figure it out. But, in reply, James only nodded, glancing down sheepishly.

Elizabeth smiled, saying, "I saw it in your eyes when I looked at you…"

_Damn. _James sighed. "Did anyone else come with you, Elizabeth?"

"Yes, they happened to be the next ship right after ours left. They must be here by now… They're all here for the funeral."

"Alright… that's all I need to know…" James grabbed his things and looked back at the saddened Elizabeth. "We should go."

"Indeed…" said she, walking out the door before him. As much as she didn't want to leave either, she had to. Her friends and she would have to discuss the situation, and James would have to head back to the print shop to get his friends. With a passing glance, James walked out of the bedroom, trying to swallow his remaining sorrow.

Sarah's mother talked with her royal friends and with the Wheatlys about the burial of her beloved daughter while James walked out of the door. Before he could even grab the same mare he came with, Moses and Henri rode up next to him.

"James! Thank god you're alright! We were getting worried about you," Moses exclaimed, stepping off the carriage. Henri got out and began hugging James, feeling better that he saw his friend again. James joined the hug, feeling slightly better, yet still feeling empty.

Henri looked up at his friend. "How did everything go…?"

James looked away for a brief moment, thinking of the appropriate words to say. "It was depressing… you can say…" Henri wore the same saddened expression as the blonde as he too felt tears blurring his vision.

Moses, realizing everyone's depressed state, said, "May we see her upstairs, if that's alright?"

"I suppose you can," said James. "And by the way, Sarah's mother is here."

"She is?" questioned the French boy once he ended his hug. "All the way from England?"

"Yes, and she came all this way to see her in this state," he replied.

"We'd better head upstairs," said Moses. "James… would you like to come as well?"

James looked at Moses, almost on the verge of crying again, but held it in reluctantly. "Yes… I would…" And with that, all three walked upstairs while the royal women downstairs discussed Sarah's death and when the funeral was going to be held. Once upstairs, Henri was already crying, seeing the same things James had just recently seen. Moses comforted him while he too shed a tear, knowing that they'll never see Sarah again.

Henri glanced again at Sarah's body, tears steaming down his face. Sarah was a lot like a mother to him, mainly because his parents died at a young age and that she set a good example for him. He continued to cry.

James watched his two friends cry over the loss of the young woman on the bed, feeling more miserable just by watching them. He remained strong, however, and didn't shed a tear. Yet.

Later, Elizabeth and her friends decided to start the funeral the next morning in Philadelphia, where she knew James and his friends would want her to be buried. Moses, Henri, and James were pleased with that decision, starting to get back in the carriage once they grabbed the mare that brought James into Boston and journeyed back to Philadelphia. They followed the carriage that carried Elizabeth and her friends. James and Henri sat in the back, the French boy close to James, hoping it would make him feel better. James wasn't feeling better no matter how comforting Henri was trying to be. Sure the young boy was helpful, but he still felt lonely and hollow. He looked at dirt road leading out of Boston, watching as the town disappeared in a matter of minutes.

James noticed Henri still crying, and decided to give him some encouragement by putting his arm around the boy in a comforting way. He felt surprised doing this, knowing that wasn't what the _real_ James would do. In fact, ever since seeing Sarah in that lonely bedroom, he felt himself mentally change in a way he couldn't explain.

**A/N: **REVIEW!!!! XD I'll get the last chapter up as soon as I can. And btw, thank you to those who reviewed. I appreciate that people like my story, because my Dragon Booster one isn't really getting any attention :P And I know some people are a bit saddened (obviously, since the story genre is a ROMANCE/_TRAGETY_) because of the death of Sarah, but I wanted to write a story that was different from all the other stories in this section. Usually JamesXSarah stories consist of Sarah going back to England and reunite with her mother. She then has to get ready for some sort of ball and starts missing James; finally, she heads back to the USA and falls in love with him and shit… So, yeah, most of those stories consist of that. It's most definitely not a bad thing, because I enjoy them :) But I wanted to do something that was different from the other romance fics. So, that's the reason to why I'm writing this kind of story. 


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Final chapter! :3 Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be cheerful when it's a sad story :P So, yes, the story is almost over, and I must say I think I did good for my first LK fanfic. Unfortunately I wish I was a more intellectual fan, because I've only seen about five episodes of this show XD Hopefully SOMEBODY (somebody heroic) would put some more eps on Youtube so I can watch them!

The day of the funeral was a cloudy, gray day. It showed signs of precipitation as the dark clouds moved across the sky slowly and lazily. Despite the bad weather, the funeral was held anyway near the outskirts of town, someplace close to Philadelphia. A shady tree on a nearby hill was the perfect place, they thought. All of Elizabeth's friends including her were there, all dressed in dark colors. James, Henri, Moses, and Ben Franklin were there as well, all dressed in the same color combo. Some of the royal ladies there kept glancing at James and his friends, wondering why they were there and curious of their rank in society. Most of the women there knew Ben Franklin as a highly respected intellectual man, so they didn't bother being curious about his rank. Even with their curious and bewildered glances, the trio ignored them and focused on their loss.

Sarah was already buried, and everyone was silent, quiet in a moment of respect for the young woman. James's mind completely focused on her, remembering everything they've done since they first met years before.

Ben glanced at James, Henri, and Moses; their sad, despondent expressions remained pasted on their faces. He looked back at Sarah's grave, wondering how something this troublesome could happen so fast, and what Sarah even done to deserve the horrible fate. As a matter of fact, she did nothing of the sort. Why her life ended this quick was a mystery, but the brilliant-minded elder knew all too well that all three were going to be in some sort of depression for days or possibly weeks on end.

Henri couldn't take all the pressure any longer and began crying again. He wanted to be strong, wanted to act like a man, but the fact that Sarah had passed was too much for the adolescent. Henri's tears were too much for neither Moses nor James to handle. They were already depressed with Sarah being gone, and Henri being miserable was one thing they didn't want to deal with.

Before Moses could even think about reacting, James let Henri embrace him in a hug once more. James rubbed the young boy's back as Henri cried into James's shirt, leaving tear stains, not that it mattered. Moses smiled weakly at James's sudden kindness. All of a sudden James has been changing, something he never expected to see this soon. He's grown more… _caring_? But as much as James has been changing, he too looked like he needed a hug.

By late afternoon when everyone returned home, all but one stayed. The young man couldn't stop staring at her grave, not wanting to believe he was going through this unforgiving pain. His thoughts started drifting to the night when he saw her dead, flashes of her emotionless yet peaceful face continually picking at his mind. Sometimes he wished he didn't have such a photographic memory.

His friends didn't want to disturb him, for they knew how he felt about her. They wanted to respect his complicated emotions that were constantly flowing through his brain. Henri was the one to most likely want to comfort James, but Moses told him to leave him to ponder about the currant events.

Tears once again traveled down his cheeks, as much as he didn't want them to. He knew it was unhealthy to keep thinking about her death, but he couldn't stand the thought that she was gone. For good.

_Well, James, you got your wish…_ that one conspicuous thought told him. _She's _finally_ gone! You hated her for her nagging; for being a bossy push-over; for the fact that she was British and how much you loathe their kind; for being a Tory; for criticizing you for your rebellious antics and for being extremely annoying… _

"…yet I _still_ fell in love with you." James whispered to himself, finishing his thoughts. He just didn't understand how he managed to love a stubborn, fiery, unpredictable young woman who was _British_. He just couldn't come up with a good explanation to why he felt the way he did.

Ben Franklin walked up calmly and quietly, hopeful not to disturb James. James seemed too lost in his own thoughts to even notice the elder walk up behind him. Ben kneeled down and placed his hand gently on the young male's shoulder. Despite its gentle touch, the hand startled James's state of mind. James looked at Ben, his eyes soon looking to the ground, not wanting to meet the other pair's.

To the blonde's surprise, Ben Franklin's lips formed a smile. "I'm proud of you, James…"

James was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I'm proud of you because of how you handled this. I know it's odd to think about, especially for something like this, but I know now that Sarah meant more than just a friend to you…"

James's thoughts began racing, wondering how the _hell_ he would be able to figure it out. Were his feelings _that _obvious?

"Just remember, James… even though Sarah is gone, she is in a better place. The world is too cruel for anyone to be in, but despite its morbid state we still consider living because it is our gift from God. Heaven is a place for everything and everyone, and Sarah has earned her place.

"I know it's hard, and I know no one wants it to happen, but it's apart of life. Without it, life wouldn't be the same…"

James finally looked at the elder, tears streaming down his face. He knew Ben was right, he could feel it. But, he couldn't get over it.

"But… I never got to say goodbye…" James choked out.

Ben so badly wanted to make his apprentice feel better, but despite all the things he's said to make him feel better in the past, it won't help now. He's lost someone whom he loved more than anyone he's ever known. He never really loved anyone, since he was an orphan. The elder tried not to picture the poor boy on the streets he'd once known. "A lot of people don't have that chance," said he.

Even though he didn't mean to be frustrated with Dr. Franklin, James stood up with an irritated stance. "The last thing I said to her was rude and stupid. I shouldn't have said it, but I did, and I can't change that because she's gone! I can't apologize; I can't tell her my feelings; I can't tell her how much I care for her; I can't tell her anything! There's nothing I _can_ do, and that's what angers me the most…"

He began crying again, and he didn't try to hold it in. Ben didn't try stopping him, because he needed to let it out. He hasn't seen James suffer this much since he told him of the loss of his parents years before.

Trying somehow to calm him down, Ben said, "I bet she's looking down at us right now, James… seeing you suffer this much. I have a feeling that she feels welcomed to America… because of how much her friends cared for her…"

James sighed heavily, wiping away his tears, and stood up once again to face Dr. Franklin. Thinking about what he said, the young man concluded that he needed to face the facts, and feel happy that Sarah is someplace better than in the middle of war in the Americas. "I'm ready to go back, I suppose…" he said, feeling a sudden urge to stay at her grave for the rest of his life.

"Then we should go…" said Ben. The two started walking back to Philadelphia, while James made constant glances at Sarah's grave.

"Goodbye, Sarah…" James whispered. "…I love you."

The trio got ready for bed, still feeling rather gloomy from the unfortunate day, but was eager to get a good night's sleep. After saying their good-nights, they disembarked to their bedrooms.

James stayed awake in his bed, and though he vowed to himself to stop thinking about her, he broke the promise. Instead he thought of all their adventures; riding with Paul Revere; meeting for the first time at the Boston Tea Party; spying on the British with Nathan Hale, and other great memories he would treasure.

He sat up in bed, looking at the dazzling moon that shown bright in his window. He smiled, and a single tear trailed down his cheek. It wasn't from sadness, but from joy.

A shiny object caught his eye, and he spotted it upon his dresser. Curious and bewildered, James got out of his bed and tried searching on his dresser in the dimmed light. He found what shown bright on the moon's light; it was a locket. It wasn't fancy, it wasn't expensive looking, but it indeed was a locket. He manipulated it in his hands, feeling it's some-what warm touch, as if someone had held it recently. But as he looked closer at the golden object, he could see the pounded marks that a hammer once touched… and the same gold that he once wore around his finger.

**FIN**

**A/N: **Well, that's the end :) FINALLY IT IS DONE! Now I can make more stories now that it's out of my system. Hope you enjoyed, and the end was quite fun to write ;) Oh, and I found another episode that was recently uploaded on Youtube! :D It had something to do with some French guy named Lafayette or something… Never heard of him 'till I watched that episode.


End file.
